Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-01-07

canal. 1t was TO the interest of the pro
ducers of the country that instead Of being
wiped out the canal should be enlarged as
proposed by the bill.
The Pension Appropriation bill was then
taken up by the House and passed. 1t ap'
propriates $40, 247, 400.
The House then went into Committee ol
Whole, Mr.. Springer of Illinois, in the
Chair on
THE NAVAL REORGANIZATION BILL.
Mr.. Savers, of Texas, advocated the
measure. He proceeded to draw deplora,
BILE picture of navy too weak to fight, and
too slow to run away, and of navy yards
useless and worn out, and utterly incapa-
BILE of constructing first class war vessels
and, the causes of this worthlessneSs and
decay to the cumbersome organization oi
the navy. He fortified his position with
extracts from the expressed opinions
Of Secretaries Whitney and Chandler.
BoUTELLE SATISFIED.
Mr.. Boutelle, of Maine, opposed the bill.
The existing organization of the Navy was
adequate to all demands Of the presentand
all the probable requirements OF the future.
Under the organization, as it stood to-day,
the United States Navy Department con-
frOnted in 1861, by more gigantic foe
than it was likely to meet in the immedi-
ate future, had been enabled, in the twink
ling OF an eye, to call into existence a
naval equipment great and effective IN
power and resources. The organization
had been found to be efficient until the re-
turn to power of that party which had
opposed the Navy during the late dis
urbance 1t might be a cause for
national regret that in the organization OF
the Navy Department in 1861, that depart
ment hadn't had the assistance OF the
present chairman of the Committee on
Naval Affairs, or of his associates on the
other side of the chamber; but at that time
those gentlemen had been engaged in ef'
forts to consolidate the L. S. Navy and re-
duce the expenses of the department by
getting rid of its surplus officers and men.
But the Navy had done the best it could
without them and he thought that 1t had
got along pretty well. Now, however, the
proposition was made to uprOOt the Organi-
zation under which everything creditable
to the Navy had thus far been achieved.
A DEMAGOGUE's sLUR.
After the election of Democratic Presi'
dent-or perhape he ought to qualify that
by saying, after the induction of Demo-
cratic President into office, under due
forms of law-and the appointment Of a
Democratic Secretary Of the Navy, a prop
OsitiOu was brought in with the tacit en-
dorsement OF the Navy Department for a
reorganization of that department. But
this proposition was essentially different
from the pending measure which had not
received the endorsement of the Depart
ment. Descending to Il discussion of its
details, he severely criticised the feature
which, he declared, would break down
the autonomy of the great Engineering
Bureau at the very hour when the country
was looking to it to place the American
Navy in advance of the best achievements
of the world.
Mr.. M'ADoO,
of New Jersey, favored the bill. The gen.
tleman from Maine Mr.. Boutelle) had
extolled the great achievements of the
army during the war. He (Mr. McAdoOj
recognized the grandeur Of those achieve
mcnts, but called attention to the great eX-
pense which they had entailed upon the
people of the country. Had n cOnsOlida-
tion of the Bureaus been made i'll 1889, the
same achievements would have been per-
formed by the Navy with greater efficiency,
and with tar less cost to the people.
Pending further debate, the Committee
rose and the House adjourned.